April 3, 2025 • 12 mins
On the Thursday April 3 edition of The Armstrong & Getty One More Thing Podcast...
- Joe brings us a pair of notes from the world of science fiction...
Stupid Should Hurt: https://www.armstrongandgetty.com/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Fascinating. It's one more thing. I'm one more thing. Two
notes from the world of science fiction. Jack, I know
you love that genre of entertainment slash literature.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I am not a science fiction person.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I don't know why. I just don't know. I don't
know why either. It's it's great. There's some that's just
it's some of the wisest best things. You see. You
change the setting, Katie, What did did? Did your dog
break wind? Why do you have that look on your face?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It feels the same way I do about science fiction science.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I work with philistines. No, it changed, all right, you
know what. I'm not going to try to explain Beethoven
to a couple of bassett hounds. No offense. Funny now,
you either like it or you don't. But it is
somebody more. I'll bet Tim Sandefer could could wax incredibly
(00:57):
eloquent on why science fiction is so good because it
changes enough frames of reference that you can isolate various
aspects of human behavior in a way that highlights them
in a way that's difficult with other fiction. Anyway, fascinating exactly.
I have no blanket idea. This is note from science
(01:18):
fiction number one. Why this popped into my head. I'm
wandering off to the bathroom the radio ranch. It must
have been. I was thinking about something that was really interesting,
and I heard Spock's voice in my head saying, fascinating, fascinating,
and you know what occurred to me? Tell me about
(01:39):
mister Spock, Michael, I'm putting you on the spot here.
What is the most distinctive thing about the character mister Spock?
It was his ears?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
No, no, you know what, that's not a bad assimal.
That's a perfect answer. If you're gonna look at him,
but not physically. How about his personality? What was most
notable class anyone?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
That's right?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, I'm interested to Michael, you don't have answer. Have
you never seen Star Trek here and there? But not really?
He was emotionless, right, exactly? Have you seen Star Trek Katie?
Speaker 1 (02:13):
When I was a kid, the original Trek, my dad
watched a bit of it and I was forced. Oh
I was. I was a big fan. And then I
got to college and a bunch of buddies in mine
and I would get baked every Sunday night after our
like homework was done and stuff like this study and
we would get baked and watch Star Trek.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Guy one episode or multiple No, just one, just one,
over and over again.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
There was one of the TV stations that aired Star
Trek at nine o'clock Sunday nights.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
What a different era in that you would now you know,
be able to binge the whole series in one weekend.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Right exactly. But oh, we had ground rules about there's
no saving seats. If you got up to hit the john,
you're you're the next guy is going to jump into
that good seat and you come back and you'd you know,
shuffling feet, lose your seat. There's etiquette. It was very formalized. Anyway,
it occurred to me Spock saying, fascinating, that's an emotional reaction.
(03:15):
His catchphrase contradicted his very essence. If you are a
robot like and feel no emotion, you're not gonna be
fascinated by a problem, no or an issue.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It's just more information, but it has no emotional effect.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
On right exactly. His very catchphrase contradicted his character. I
hope Tim Sandifer hears this. I would love to hear
his comments someday.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Or the episode where he thought Jim was dead and
he was so excited to see Jim that he has
a big smut, Jim, you're alive, briefly breaking character and
having emotions.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Of course, he was half human, Jack, Oh, that's right,
he was half human. Tim Sandfer has written a piece
on the evolving point of view and plots of Star
Trek and how it parallels American foreign policy that is
knockout good.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Oh really, Oh yeah, that's interesting. It's not about how
William Shatton or some seasons would be fat and some
seasons would be fit.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
No, al loough. That is worthy of studying itself. All right,
birds science fiction note number two, And there are a
couple of people who email this. We were talking about
gene splicing, editing designer baby.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, and how it's a real thing. This New York
Times columnist writing about how she and her husband with
IVF were given the choice of whether they wanted a
boy or a girl, and they decided they didn't like
the power to choose that, but then found out that
there are a whole bunch of other things you can choose.
And a poll came out that forty percent of Americans
said they would make choices in embryos if it would
(04:56):
make it more likely that their kid could get into
a good school whatever. I hate that phrase. I don't
even know what that moves.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Oh yeah, I kind of hate that attitude.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, so like make taller, better looking, smarter. You can
choose that or.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Just quote unquote happy, happier.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, you guys ever see that show Black Mirror?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
On that No, I've got a note to watch that
and I haven't yet.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
What's the premise?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
The premise it's basically way in the future, and it's
very tech like technology based. So at one point you
have people walking around and they have like a social
status above their heads that you can see, you know,
and if you do something that's socially unacceptable, your status
goes down. It's just like a bunch of really terrible
technology scenarios. This sounds like something out of Black Mirror.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
But did you enjoy that show? I love that, which
is science fiction? You hypocrite.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't do the whole space Aliens thing.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I don't know. That's where you draw a lot, That's
where I draw a line. Yeah, okay, I will watch
it because it sounds really interesting. Yeah, it really is.
So anyway, we were talking about this and I just
did that Mike Judge, who was behind the We thought
it was a comedy. Turns out it was a documentary idiocracy,
one of our mutual favorite movies of all time. It's
it's dumb, but it's smart anyway. He needs to make
(06:13):
an idiocracy for genetically engineered humans who are all, you know,
good looking, tall, blue eyed, whatever, kind of a Stepford
Wives baby.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
And pleasant or happy. Because we mentioned the show, every writer, musician,
artist was unhappy. Has there ever been a happy, great
guitar player. I don't know if there has been.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Right, whether alienated or lonely or a misfit who is
looking for some purpose to their life. Yeah, yeah, it's well,
discontent in general drives achievement anyway. So a couple of people,
including Christy, wrote notes that said, hey, you're talking about
(06:56):
the movie Gatica, which came out and I think somebody
said nineteen ninety seven, it's not a comedy, but it's
a beautiful film about the not too distant future where
people choose traits and those who are born naturally are
considered second class citizens.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I'm a genetic counselor and former genetic research scientist, and
it is literally referenced in ethical discussions all the time,
it's normal to have someone ask the question, isn't that
a little too gatica? Wow?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
What would cause U naturally born to be second class citizens?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Well, because they're inferior, they're not all all and beautiful
and perfect, And well, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Just naturally you would because you wouldn't be as good
looking or as smart.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
And by the way, Christine Rancho Cordova, I will, I'll
drop her note, but she says, uh, I won't bore
you with all the details, blah blah blah. No, go ahead,
bore us with as many details as you want. To
find this all fascinating. And she makes the point that, yeah,
we talk about the ethics all the time, but I
do think it's just a matter of time, especially because
(08:01):
other countries have been dabbling in it anyway. Uh, And
I thought, Gatica, that sounds really familiar. Getka, why does
that sound so familiar? And I think, I think that's
the movie I got to retell a story that's been
(08:22):
told more than once on the show through the last
well nineteen ninety seven, twenty five years whatever. I took
my kids to see Elf, a good movie in the theater,
movie and they had a couple of previews, a young
(08:42):
Zoey Deschanel. Oh so cute anyway.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Katie rolls her eyes. I'm a straight Maybe you were
there for an older Ed Asner, so.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Any oh, she was so lovable in that movie. She's
darling anyway. So a couple of previews and then another
preview we thought of a very dark and serious nature,
very dark and serious scene unfolds and it is as
I recall, oh, what's her name, a beautiful African American actress, Yeah,
(09:21):
who was sitting in a chair talking to some sort
of counselor or detective or something like that. And get
the bleepers ready, and what's the ages on your kids? Again?
This is a theater full of parents and children ages
five through thirteen.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Oh yeah, you're seeing Elf.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
In the theater. And the scene unfolded as follows. Blah
blah blah. The detective or counselor or whatever the person
was says to the halle Berry character, so are you
telling me you talked to Satan? And the halle Berry character,
I think it was halle Bery says, talk to Satan,
(10:04):
I fucked him, and.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
The whole theater goes, WHOA, what is happening here, and
there's a huge uproar, including me, why you're doing everybody
shouting at the projection booth, and they and everything stops
and the lights go on. In about two or three
minutes of there's a great deal of buzz in the theater.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
You can imagine the parents and the kids going, oh
my god, what does that mean? What does it mean
to fuck Satan? Oh jeez, oh my gosh, es.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Elf come out crying.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
They come on and say, we'd like to apologize the
projection booth ran the wrong film. We'll have Elf cued
up for you in just a moment.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
If you'd like to sign some paperwork on the way
out saying you will not hold us responsible for any
future trauma, we will give you a free small popcorn.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And I think that movie was gatica.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I'm wondering if you guys actually enjoyed treating your customers
like a piece of yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Huh oh.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I can only imagine the parents in there, Oh.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
My god, it is something, you know, since we got
an F bomb in the show. Already out to the store,
because this happened two days ago. I got the little
local market by my house, a little grocery store that
the good enough grocery store in case unless you need
a whole bunch of stuff every but it goes to
nice grocery store. It just came under new ownership, and
the guy's working really hard to uh, to please everybody
(11:39):
and saying hello to everybody and introduce himself and everything
like that. That's really nice and everything like that. I'm in
the other there the other day and I'm going through
and I said, it looks like it's a knocking the
rain day, and he said, yeah, it's pretty fucking nice outside,
all right.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I love that. I thought, what, No, it's of society.
He's just a nice, cheerful guy. He's like sixty two
or something.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Like that, well, owns the store, kind of a fat guy,
and just very super pleasant, like helping the old ladies
to their car. It's pretty fucking nice. Sam told me,
he said, you gotta start talking to him that way.
It's like, where's the fucking milk?
Speaker 1 (12:18):
No, no, no, oh, that's awesome. Well, I guess that's it.
I was really hoping you were gonna say, I guess
that's fucking me too. Great minds. I thought of it.
Fascinating. It's one more thing. I'm one more thing. Two
notes from the world of science fiction. Jack, I know
you love that genre of entertainment slash literature.
Speaker 2 (00:17):
I am not a science fiction person.
Speaker 1 (00:18):
I don't know why. I just don't know. I don't
know why either. It's it's great. There's some that's just
it's some of the wisest best things. You see. You
change the setting, Katie, What did did? Did your dog
break wind? Why do you have that look on your face?
Speaker 2 (00:32):
It feels the same way I do about science fiction science.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
I work with philistines. No, it changed, all right, you
know what. I'm not going to try to explain Beethoven
to a couple of bassett hounds. No offense. Funny now,
you either like it or you don't. But it is
somebody more. I'll bet Tim Sandefer could could wax incredibly
(00:57):
eloquent on why science fiction is so good because it
changes enough frames of reference that you can isolate various
aspects of human behavior in a way that highlights them
in a way that's difficult with other fiction. Anyway, fascinating exactly.
I have no blanket idea. This is note from science
(01:18):
fiction number one. Why this popped into my head. I'm
wandering off to the bathroom the radio ranch. It must
have been. I was thinking about something that was really interesting,
and I heard Spock's voice in my head saying, fascinating, fascinating,
and you know what occurred to me? Tell me about
(01:39):
mister Spock, Michael, I'm putting you on the spot here.
What is the most distinctive thing about the character mister Spock?
It was his ears?
Speaker 2 (01:48):
No, no, you know what, that's not a bad assimal.
That's a perfect answer. If you're gonna look at him,
but not physically. How about his personality? What was most
notable class anyone?
Speaker 1 (02:01):
That's right?
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Well, I'm interested to Michael, you don't have answer. Have
you never seen Star Trek here and there? But not really?
He was emotionless, right, exactly? Have you seen Star Trek Katie?
Speaker 1 (02:13):
When I was a kid, the original Trek, my dad
watched a bit of it and I was forced. Oh
I was. I was a big fan. And then I
got to college and a bunch of buddies in mine
and I would get baked every Sunday night after our
like homework was done and stuff like this study and
we would get baked and watch Star Trek.
Speaker 2 (02:36):
Guy one episode or multiple No, just one, just one,
over and over again.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
There was one of the TV stations that aired Star
Trek at nine o'clock Sunday nights.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
What a different era in that you would now you know,
be able to binge the whole series in one weekend.
Speaker 1 (02:48):
Right exactly. But oh, we had ground rules about there's
no saving seats. If you got up to hit the john,
you're you're the next guy is going to jump into
that good seat and you come back and you'd you know,
shuffling feet, lose your seat. There's etiquette. It was very formalized. Anyway,
it occurred to me Spock saying, fascinating, that's an emotional reaction.
(03:15):
His catchphrase contradicted his very essence. If you are a
robot like and feel no emotion, you're not gonna be
fascinated by a problem, no or an issue.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
It's just more information, but it has no emotional effect.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
On right exactly. His very catchphrase contradicted his character. I
hope Tim Sandifer hears this. I would love to hear
his comments someday.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
Or the episode where he thought Jim was dead and
he was so excited to see Jim that he has
a big smut, Jim, you're alive, briefly breaking character and
having emotions.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Of course, he was half human, Jack, Oh, that's right,
he was half human. Tim Sandfer has written a piece
on the evolving point of view and plots of Star
Trek and how it parallels American foreign policy that is
knockout good.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Oh really, Oh yeah, that's interesting. It's not about how
William Shatton or some seasons would be fat and some
seasons would be fit.
Speaker 1 (04:12):
No, al loough. That is worthy of studying itself. All right,
birds science fiction note number two, And there are a
couple of people who email this. We were talking about
gene splicing, editing designer baby.
Speaker 2 (04:33):
Yeah, and how it's a real thing. This New York
Times columnist writing about how she and her husband with
IVF were given the choice of whether they wanted a
boy or a girl, and they decided they didn't like
the power to choose that, but then found out that
there are a whole bunch of other things you can choose.
And a poll came out that forty percent of Americans
said they would make choices in embryos if it would
(04:56):
make it more likely that their kid could get into
a good school whatever. I hate that phrase. I don't
even know what that moves.
Speaker 1 (05:02):
Oh yeah, I kind of hate that attitude.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Yeah, so like make taller, better looking, smarter. You can
choose that or.
Speaker 1 (05:09):
Just quote unquote happy, happier.
Speaker 3 (05:12):
Yeah, you guys ever see that show Black Mirror?
Speaker 1 (05:14):
On that No, I've got a note to watch that
and I haven't yet.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
What's the premise?
Speaker 3 (05:19):
The premise it's basically way in the future, and it's
very tech like technology based. So at one point you
have people walking around and they have like a social
status above their heads that you can see, you know,
and if you do something that's socially unacceptable, your status
goes down. It's just like a bunch of really terrible
technology scenarios. This sounds like something out of Black Mirror.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
But did you enjoy that show? I love that, which
is science fiction? You hypocrite.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't do the whole space Aliens thing.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
I don't know. That's where you draw a lot, That's
where I draw a line. Yeah, okay, I will watch
it because it sounds really interesting. Yeah, it really is.
So anyway, we were talking about this and I just
did that Mike Judge, who was behind the We thought
it was a comedy. Turns out it was a documentary idiocracy,
one of our mutual favorite movies of all time. It's
it's dumb, but it's smart anyway. He needs to make
(06:13):
an idiocracy for genetically engineered humans who are all, you know,
good looking, tall, blue eyed, whatever, kind of a Stepford
Wives baby.
Speaker 2 (06:21):
And pleasant or happy. Because we mentioned the show, every writer, musician,
artist was unhappy. Has there ever been a happy, great
guitar player. I don't know if there has been.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
Right, whether alienated or lonely or a misfit who is
looking for some purpose to their life. Yeah, yeah, it's well,
discontent in general drives achievement anyway. So a couple of people,
including Christy, wrote notes that said, hey, you're talking about
(06:56):
the movie Gatica, which came out and I think somebody
said nineteen ninety seven, it's not a comedy, but it's
a beautiful film about the not too distant future where
people choose traits and those who are born naturally are
considered second class citizens.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
Oh wow.
Speaker 1 (07:11):
I'm a genetic counselor and former genetic research scientist, and
it is literally referenced in ethical discussions all the time,
it's normal to have someone ask the question, isn't that
a little too gatica? Wow?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
What would cause U naturally born to be second class citizens?
Speaker 1 (07:30):
Well, because they're inferior, they're not all all and beautiful
and perfect, And well, yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:35):
Just naturally you would because you wouldn't be as good
looking or as smart.
Speaker 1 (07:38):
And by the way, Christine Rancho Cordova, I will, I'll
drop her note, but she says, uh, I won't bore
you with all the details, blah blah blah. No, go ahead,
bore us with as many details as you want. To
find this all fascinating. And she makes the point that, yeah,
we talk about the ethics all the time, but I
do think it's just a matter of time, especially because
(08:01):
other countries have been dabbling in it anyway. Uh, And
I thought, Gatica, that sounds really familiar. Getka, why does
that sound so familiar? And I think, I think that's
the movie I got to retell a story that's been
(08:22):
told more than once on the show through the last
well nineteen ninety seven, twenty five years whatever. I took
my kids to see Elf, a good movie in the theater,
movie and they had a couple of previews, a young
(08:42):
Zoey Deschanel. Oh so cute anyway.
Speaker 2 (08:46):
Katie rolls her eyes. I'm a straight Maybe you were
there for an older Ed Asner, so.
Speaker 1 (08:53):
Any oh, she was so lovable in that movie. She's
darling anyway. So a couple of previews and then another
preview we thought of a very dark and serious nature,
very dark and serious scene unfolds and it is as
I recall, oh, what's her name, a beautiful African American actress, Yeah,
(09:21):
who was sitting in a chair talking to some sort
of counselor or detective or something like that. And get
the bleepers ready, and what's the ages on your kids? Again?
This is a theater full of parents and children ages
five through thirteen.
Speaker 2 (09:37):
Oh yeah, you're seeing Elf.
Speaker 1 (09:39):
In the theater. And the scene unfolded as follows. Blah
blah blah. The detective or counselor or whatever the person
was says to the halle Berry character, so are you
telling me you talked to Satan? And the halle Berry character,
I think it was halle Bery says, talk to Satan,
(10:04):
I fucked him, and.
Speaker 4 (10:06):
The whole theater goes, WHOA, what is happening here, and
there's a huge uproar, including me, why you're doing everybody
shouting at the projection booth, and they and everything stops
and the lights go on. In about two or three
minutes of there's a great deal of buzz in the theater.
Speaker 1 (10:28):
You can imagine the parents and the kids going, oh
my god, what does that mean? What does it mean
to fuck Satan? Oh jeez, oh my gosh, es.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Elf come out crying.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
They come on and say, we'd like to apologize the
projection booth ran the wrong film. We'll have Elf cued
up for you in just a moment.
Speaker 2 (10:51):
If you'd like to sign some paperwork on the way
out saying you will not hold us responsible for any
future trauma, we will give you a free small popcorn.
Speaker 1 (10:59):
And I think that movie was gatica.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:05):
I'm wondering if you guys actually enjoyed treating your customers
like a piece of yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:10):
Huh oh.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I can only imagine the parents in there, Oh.
Speaker 2 (11:16):
My god, it is something, you know, since we got
an F bomb in the show. Already out to the store,
because this happened two days ago. I got the little
local market by my house, a little grocery store that
the good enough grocery store in case unless you need
a whole bunch of stuff every but it goes to
nice grocery store. It just came under new ownership, and
the guy's working really hard to uh, to please everybody
(11:39):
and saying hello to everybody and introduce himself and everything
like that. That's really nice and everything like that. I'm in
the other there the other day and I'm going through
and I said, it looks like it's a knocking the
rain day, and he said, yeah, it's pretty fucking nice outside,
all right.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
I love that. I thought, what, No, it's of society.
He's just a nice, cheerful guy. He's like sixty two
or something.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Like that, well, owns the store, kind of a fat guy,
and just very super pleasant, like helping the old ladies
to their car. It's pretty fucking nice. Sam told me,
he said, you gotta start talking to him that way.
It's like, where's the fucking milk?
Speaker 1 (12:18):
No, no, no, oh, that's awesome. Well, I guess that's it.
I was really hoping you were gonna say, I guess
that's fucking me too. Great minds. I thought of it.
Hosts And Creators
Joe Getty
Jack Armstrong
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